


Distance (Makes the Heart Fond)

by lukeskywalkerisgay



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Darth Tantrum and his Evil Space Ginger, Fluff and Angst, Inspired by Art, Light Angst, M/M, Post-Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Star Wars: The Last Jedi Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-07
Updated: 2018-06-07
Packaged: 2019-05-19 04:31:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14866659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lukeskywalkerisgay/pseuds/lukeskywalkerisgay
Summary: When Kylo Ren first fails to return following a mission, Hux is delighted to finally be free of his presence for a few days; however, as days drags into weeks and then weeks into nearly a month, Hux cannot help but worry as to just what has become of the Supreme Leader.





	Distance (Makes the Heart Fond)

Kylo Ren had been missing in action for more than four standard weeks by now.

At first, Hux held very little but utter contempt for the Supreme Leader’s lack of courtesy. How typical, he thought, of Ren to fall off course and not bother to inform Hux or any of his staff. It wasn’t as if Hux was his damn husband or anything. Nonetheless, he basked in the rare nights of solitude Ren’s disappearing act afforded him.

Time marched ever forward. As a couple days turned into a week, Hux tried to enjoy the other man’s absence. No one to argue with every decision Hux made or to terrorize his crew; no one to hog all of the damn covers on the bed. After all, when was the last time that Kylo Ren had trusted Hux enough to leave him with the Order without fear of a coup? It was refreshing to be free of his husband’s overbearing presence for the first time in well over a year.

However time as time progressed, two standard weeks flew by - and Hux began to worry.

Though he’d be damned before he’d ever admit that he was concerned as to where the hells Kylo Ren had disappeared to. Even his bridge personal wondered as to where the Supreme Leader had gone, though most of them were smart enough not to let Hux hear their musings when they _should_ have been working. A few of them, he knew, suspected that perhaps Hux had finally done away with Ren altogether, and was simply waiting for the right time to publicly claim the title of Supreme Leader. Had he not been so worried, he might just have been pleased with the thought.

Days continued to slip out of the General’s grasp, and with every one his ever-mounting concern began to slowly build into panic. Ren had been gone far too long for this to have simply been some whim of his, or some unplanned stop on his journey with his remaining knights. Their bed felt far too empty, cold and vast and unwelcoming without the furnace of Ren’s body heat pressed snugly up against Hux’s back; even Millicent seemed to miss the man, as Hux often returned to his quarters to find her curled up in Ren’s old helmet, desolate and moody.

It was all very frustrating to Hux. Hadn't this been what he wanted? Less than a year ago Hux would have gladly been gone of Kylo Ren; hells, he would have been positively giddy at the prospect of taking full control of the First Order. These past months had made him soft, it seemed. At night, he curled up against the viewport with Millicent in his lap and simply waited.

This was some elaborate tantrum, or some convoluted test, Hux told himself. Perhaps the Supreme Leader was waiting to see if his husband would claim his throne in his absence.

Try as he might to lie to himself, a small part of Hux, one that he quickly tucked away, whispered that maybe Ren hadn’t returned because he had been killed. Maybe he had been assassinated, and his corpse was rotting on some godforsaken hunk of rock. Cold. _Dead_.

But the larger part of Hux’s brain argued that Kylo Ren was no mere man. He was not so easily executed, nor a man who could be quietly silenced in the night or in some backwater planet. He was a force of nature all by himself. He was alive, dammit, and he would return.

In the fourth week of Ren’s absence, Hux slept very little, and then none at all. His staff was wise enough not to mention the ever worsening dark circles stamped under his eyes, or the shake in his hands when he accepted a data pad from an officer or refilled his mug of caf.

He spent well over a standard shift on the bridge just to stay occupied, and he returned at some point to his quarters every cycle if only to feed his cat and shower. After ensuring Millicent had her food and washing the day’s sweat and grime from his body, the General seated himself at his desk and opened battle plans, progress reports, anything to keep him from wondering where the hell Kylo Ren was.

 

Things came to a breaking point one night exactly four weeks since Ren had seemingly vanished. Four weeks. Four standard weeks, a full month - with no one breathing down his neck or telling him how to do his job. Four weeks, with not even one message or update from Kylo Ren.

Four weeks with no word from his husband.

No sign he was on his way, no promise he was in the same star system as Hux - nothing even, to prove he was still alive.

Irrational and whimsical as it was, Hux clung to the belief that he would know if Kylo Ren was dead. He would feel the gaping hole like a bloody, pulsing wound in his chest if his husband was no longer breathing. He was alive. Ren had to be alive.

He was so exhausted that his eyes couldn’t focus long enough for him to read reports, but sleep only brought nightmares filled with images of Kylo Ren maimed or executed in all manner of ways, and so he resigned himself to continuing his silent vigil.

Hux shut down his work station for the night and slowly made his way into the living room of their shared quarters.

 

Despondent, he collapsed onto his couch - the one that Kylo hated but Hux wouldn’t let him replace. He sat, and tried terribly hard not to miss Ren, to not think about all the awful things that could have befallen him while he went tromping around the universe like the great kriffing idiot he was.

Shocked to realize that the high, visceral whine filling the room was emanating from somewhere deep in his own tired body, Hux found his own eyes spilling over as his emotions overtook him. Armitage didn't know when he had started crying, so much as he knew that now that he had started he wasn’t sure he would ever be able to stop.

“Damn that foul beast,” he whispered. Tears streamed down his face, a small smattering of water quickly accumulating on the fabric beneath him. He didn't know who he was talking to - himself, or perhaps the universe. Had he been inclined to religion, perhaps he would have considered his next words a prayer.

“There's nothing I want more,” Armitage choked out, “than for you to come back to me, you terrible, terrible man.” He sat in the quiet of their lonely chambers, interrupted only by the pathetic sobs that tore their way out of his chest.It was almost funny, he thought, how much he could miss the same person he so often dreamed of getting rid of.

Sleep slowly encompassed him.

 

Sometime in the night cycle Hux woke on the small couch, squished against the blue cushions as something strong and warm embraced him from behind. Sure he was dreaming, the General closed his eyes again.

 

When Armitage next awoke, his eyes hurt terribly, no doubt irritated from his crying fit last night. Regardless of this, the man’s eyes shot open as he realized he was still very much being pressed tightly against the couch cushions by the familiar body wrapped around him. Scared that his husband might disappear if he blinked or even so much as moved too quickly, Hux very slowly freed the hand trapped against his chest and reached back to card his fingers through hair he knew very well.

Even if said hair was dirty and greasy, matted with some mystery substance he tried not to think on, there was no doubt it was Ren fiercely clinging to him. Hux wriggled around in the other man’s arms, bringing his hand to gently trace over his face. Following the cartography of his features, his high cheekbones, strong nose, the groove of his scar from the fight with the scavenger on Star Killer so long ago. A sigh of relief punched itself from Hux’s chest, and he was glad Ren was still asleep for it was dangerously close to a sob.

He spent countless minutes simply observing Ren, taking the time to once again familiarize himself with his Husband's face, the palms of his hands, the pale spots littered across his strong body.

He watched as Ren slowly awoke and smiled at Hux, still half-asleep as his eyes blinked open.“You’re back…” He smacked Ren’s chest lightly, trying to hide his own obvious pleasure accompanying his husband's return to him.

“You nearly drove me mad, you absolute menace!”

“Come now Hux,” at this, he paused and yawned to Hux’s great irritation. “Surely you didn't think you would be rid of me so quickly?”

He turned his head, quick to keep his voice haughty - “One can only hope.” As he spoke, he felt Ren gently slip into the back of his mind, settling into a space Hux hadn't even realized was empty until it was filled again. His words alone lacked the conviction to put any truth behind them, but with Kylo in his head Hux knew he also heard the steady stream of relief rushing through his scattered thoughts.

_So glad you're home you're safe where did you go what happened missed you missedyouterribly._

Ren, taking in his husband's racing thoughts quickly pulled the other man to him; holding him tightly, as if he could press his apology into the man’s very bones. “I'm sure you have many questions,” he paused, unsure where to begin or how to proceed. Hux interrupted him.

“Yes I think you'll find I have _many_ questions and I do expect answers from you in due time you damn beast, but for the time present I have more concerning matters. First being what in the hells is in your hair?” Having been away so long, Ren could not help but find himself charmed even by Hux’s incessant nagging.

“Well if you must know -”

Hux’s hand noticeably paused it's minstrations at that, and he quickly withdrew his hand from Ren’s tangled hair.

“I've changed my mind, I don't want to know. First thing first, _you_ are going to shower,”

Ren whined at his husband's proclamation.

“Hux I have been gone for four weeks, I am exhausted - “

“I'm kriffing well aware how long you've been gone and if you think you're getting anywhere near our bed in your current state than you've truly lost your mind!"

Hux found himself concerned with how close Ren’s pout came to changing his mind.

“Really, I’m amazed I’ve even let you stay on the couch in such a state. Shower, and then I am taking the day off today and you are not leaving my sight unless I tell you to do so.”

“Fine,” Ren sighed. Before Hux could process what exactly was happening, he found himself somehow further crushed into the couch under the Supreme Leader’s weight, Kylo having all but dropped his full body mass onto him. “But first we are going back to sleep.”

Hux squawked, ever indignant in spite of the pleasure coursing through him at the secure weight of his husband more fully settling onto him. “Ren,” he whined. He wanted to argue further as the man really was disgusting, but he had spent so many nights awake the past week, and he was so warm and comfortable...

The last thing he felt before sleep dragged him under again was Ren's lips gently pressed against his cheek.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey y'all, this was inspired by the incredibly talented artist on Tumblr @katiesghosts whose peice (link here: http://katiesghosts.tumblr.com/post/174528838089/theres-nothing-i-want-more-than-you-to-come-back#notes ) just totally blew me away. Hope this short story even remotely did it justice  
> Also tbh in the rush to post this before starting work on a bigger project I didn't spend too terribly much time reading over and editing this one, so expect at least some minor changes in a week or so - feel free to point out any spelling or grammatical errors, I really appreciate it


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